“You Will Die at Twenty,” by Amjad Abu Alala (Sudan/Qatar, 2019, 103 min.)
You Will Die at Twenty / العشرين في ستموت .
The plot resembles a fable and is based on a story by Sudanese writer Hammour Ziada. A Sufi mystic from a Sudanese village in the state of Gezira, near the Nile River, predicts that Muzamil, a newborn boy, will die when he turns twenty. During his early years, Muzamil grows up like all the other children, but he feels greater concern about his future.

As a teenager, he meets Suleiman, a marginalized member of the community, who has returned after years abroad. Suleiman owns a movie projector and shows films to Muzamil in his home, thus introducing the young man to an unknown world. So, what will end up happening when the young man’s second decade of life comes to an end?

The film was selected in 2021 as Sudan’s entry for Best International Film at the ninety-third Academy Awards, making it the first film from Sudan to be submitted to an Oscar competition.

Amjad Abu Alala is a Sudanese film director, screenwriter and producer who was born and lives in the United Arab Emirates. He became internationally known for his first feature film, “You Will Die at Twenty” in the year of 2019.